Device for unlocking lasts



June 23, 1925. 1,542,901

J. w. MAY

DEVICE FOR UNLOCKING LASTS Original Filed Au 6, 1921 \nvenTor. John W. May

5 96M ATTys.

Patented ne 23, 1 2 5- Goren w. MAY

or moswon; MASSACHUSETTS, ,ASHGNQR or :ONE-EIGHIH 'ro J.

DUDLEY CLARK, OF BOSTON, -MASSACHUSETTS Dnvion roe mitoc'xme LAsTs.

Appneati'an filed Ke 'ust e, 1921, Serial No. 490,202. Renewed October '23, 1924.

1 0 all whom it may concern. I V

Be it "kn wn that I. JOHN V, MAY, a citizen the U'ni'tedjstat'es, and resident of Boston, county of Suifollr,"St'ate of ldassachu'setts; have invented an Improvement in Devices "for Unlocking. Lasts, of which the following descriptiony i'n connection with the accompanyin drawing, is a speciiication like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

In my co pendingapplication, Serial No. 287581, April 5,1919, I have showna'ind described a collapsible last comprising a fore part a heel part, and wedge-shaped intermediate part movable transversely of the last andby its 'moyeme'nt i'n' one direction operating to extend the last and a locking device for lo'clging en ineer-mediate member to the heel part when the last is ex tended, thereby holding. 'tlie last in such extended condition, The last described in said application alsohas a locik releasing member carried by die heel part and situ ated exterior "to, but o erable from within the 'thi'n'ible in the "li'e'e'l part, thereby to unlock the last-in order that it may be contract'e'd or collapsed. v

The purposeof placing "the lock-releasing member exterior to. the tlrimble is so that the "placing of the last on ordinary last 'p'in will not in any way affect-the lock.

It is theobject of my invention to provide a novel device or implement for actuating said lock-releasing member. Said device or implement is in the form of a last pin adapted to enter the thimble of the last,

and means actuated by the movement of the last necessary to insert the last pin into the thimble to actuate the lock-releasing memher thereby to release the lock. Vith this device, therefore, the releasing of the lock involves simply inserting the last pin into the thimble, this operation resulting in automatically actuating the lock-releasing memher,

In order to give an understanding of my invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof, which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 of the drawings is a view in section showing one embodiment of my device for unlocking lasts, said View indicating the method of operation,

generally at l, is of that type compt fore part 2, p intermediate part 4 movable transversely of Fig. 2' is a view showing the implement in its normal position.

Before describ'iinig the 'const'ri'iction of the last unlocking device I will refer briefly to the type of last with which said device is intended to eme. The last, shown 51112 a heel part 3, a wedge-shaped the last, and a telescopic con'n'ectio'n 5' between the fore part and the heel part,- "which is constructed to hold said fore pa-rt and heel part in correct alignment but which permits them to movertowa rd and from each other asthe wedge-shaped intermediatep'art #i is moved traiisversely. The last is also provided with a lock in the form of a springgpi-essed latch 6 carried the intermediate part and adapted to engage a keeper 7 carried by the heel parttherelo'y to lock the latch in the (intended position shown in the drawings. The 'latcli is released from the keeper by means of a lockreleas-in'g' member 8' which is s'lidalilc in a passage 9 formed in the heel part, and

which is situated. "entirely outside of the usual 'tliiiiible 1O ii hiic'h is inserted in the heel part. The illlllfbl it) provideclwv'ith an opening 11 in one side in'line with the I passage to permit a suitable implement to be r sen-ed int-O the thiinble and through peni'ng to mere the loch-releasing member to the i'i'gl'it Fig. 1 and cause it to lock the last. I v

The parts thus described and their method of operation are fully, set forth in my aforesaid co-pending application No. 287,681, and need not be repeated here.

As stated above the object of my present invention is to provide an implement by which the lock-releasing member 8 can be readily actuated whenever it is desired to unlock the last. Said implement device is in the form of a last pin adapted to be inserted into the thimble 10, and it has such a construction that the operation of inserting it into the thimble will cause the latchreleasing member 8 to be moved forwardly thereby to release the latch 6.

Such last pin is indicated at 12 and it may conveniently be supported in a suitable element 15 in the form of a lever that is pivoted at 16. This lever is slightly curved and is provided with the nose 17 and with the heel portion 18, the curvature and shape of said lever being such that when it is turned so that the nose 17 is received entirely within the slot 14, the heel portion 18 will project beyond the slot, while when it is turned so that the heel portion is within the slot, the nose portion 17 is projected beyond the slot. The heel 18 of the lever is acted on by a spring 19 which normally tends to swing said element into the position shown in Fig. 2 wherein the nose is withdrawn into the slot and the heel projects beyond the periphery of the last pin.

The lever is so proportioned relative to the length of the thimble and is so situated on the last pin that when the last pin is inserted into the thimble the end of the thimble will engage the heel 18 when the opening 11 in the thimble is opposite the nose 17. The engagement of the end of the thimble with the heel 18 will swing the lever from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1, thereby causing the nose 17 to be carried through the opening 11 in the thimble and against the latchreleasing member 8, such movement operating to move the latclrreleasing member 8 into the position shown in Fig. 1. The movement of the latch-releasing member 8 into this posi tion forces the latch 6 backwardly and un locks the latch, thus allowing the wedgeshaped intermediate member to move laterally into dotted line position, such movement of the intermediate member permitting the toe part to move backwardly toward the heel part.

With this invention therefore the unlocking of the latch involves simply the operation of placing the last over the last pin; such movement operating automatically to actuate the lever to thereby release the lock.

Since the lock-releasing member 8 is situated outside thethimble, the placing of the last on an ordinary last pin will not, in any way, affect the lock.

I claim:

1. In a device for unlocking lasts wherein the lock is releasable by a lock-releasing member situated exterior to the thimble in the heel part, but operable from within said thimble, the combination with a last pin to enter said thimble, of means carried by the last pin and actuated by the movement involved in placing the last over the last pin to actuate the lock-releasing member, there by to unlock the last. 7

2. In a device for unlocking lasts wherein the lock is releasable by a lock-releasing member situated exterior to the thimble in. the heel part, but operable from within said thimble, the combination with a last pin constructed to enter said thimble, of means actuated by saidthimble as it is inserted over the last pin to actuate the lock-releasing member, thereby to unlock the last.

3. In a device for unlocking lasts wherein the lock is releasable'by a lock-releasing member situated exterior to the thimble in the heel part, but operable from within said thimble the combination with a last pin constructed to enter said thimble, of a member carried by the last pin and actuated by the thimble as it is placed over said pin to actuate the lockreleasing member. 7

4. In a device for unlocking lasts wherein the lock is releasable by a lock-releasing member situated exterior to the thimble in the heel part, but operable from within said thimble, the combination with a last pin constructed to enter said thimble of a member pivoted to the last pin and actuated by the thimble as it is placed over said pin. to

move the lock-releasing member, thereby to unlock the last.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

J OHN W. MAY. 

